From Zen Tea

Tie Guan Yin (Oolong Tea)by Zen Tea

This meditative, lightly oxidized tea fills your palate with fruit-like flavour and honey fragrance. The taste is complex and layered: the background flavour is florid suggesting a combination of vanilla, violet and orchid flavour. Considered one of China’s best oolongs. Good for multiple infusions.

Note: I wanted to try this tea again and again; as I had been drinking it throughout the day prior. I realized with more steeps the complexity in the tea evolves more with multiple infusions. I was able to taste some of the vanilla essence that is to be found in the cup but not with the first infusion. I would say with the 3rd, 4th cup of tea I could discern less of the smoky aroma and find that fruity quality that this oolong has.

I was able to experience this only as the tea cooled down in my cup. As I took sip after sip, it seemed to be lighter with a sweet orchid like taste and finally of vanilla bean like; or the essence that is to be found in vanilla extract.

The tea bag oolong that I had needs to be steep/boiled to be appreciated and yet with the loose leaves, once the boiled water is added to the tea, it is the multiple steeps and the cooling down effect that allows for the tea’s complex layering to come through.